Trolley-rail



TROLLEY RAIL.

M w y N W 2 0.. WAsHmnTnM u c NITED STATES PATENT Trice.

WILLIAM A. P. IVILLARD, JR, OF HULL, MASSACHUSETTS.

TROLLEY-RAIL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 596,224, dated December 28, 1897. Application filed February 12, 1897. Serial No. 623,110. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A.- P. VVIL- LARD, Jr., of Hull, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new. and useful Improvement in Trolley- Rails, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates more especially to the construction of a third rail, which is to be used as a trolley-rail, between the two trackirons which support the car in an electric-car system, said third rail being capable of contact with the conductor and serving as the means of electrical communication, when desired, between the conductor and the motor on the car. This third rail is preferably made in sections, each section being independent of the others, but all mounted above the same conductor,which is of course continuous from one extremity of the road to the other. I also prefer to use the track-irons for the returncircuit in the manner well known.

My improvement consists in providing a part which shall have a lengthwise movement and yet shall return to a normal position, said lengthwise movement serving to bring it into circuit to form part of the electrical connection between the conductor and the motor on the car when operated by suitable mechanism under control of the engineer.

My invention will be understood by reference to the drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is alongitudinal section showing the construction of a rail embodying my invention, Fig. 2 being a cross-section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

A is an iron trough either made of one piece or of angle-irons suitably connected, as thought best. This trough serves as the foundation for the rail and is suitably spiked to the sleepers in the ordinary manner. Inside of this trough and lapping over its top are insulators F, shaped as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. These insulators may be made of hard wood and should be continuous. E is a second insulator which lies in the bottom of the trough between the bottoms of the pieces F F, holding them in place, and also serving as the foundation for so much of the electric conductor H as is within the structure. This portion of the conductor H is preferably made rectangular in cross-section, being firmly attached to the insulating-foundation E, as shown. The adjacent ends of these portions of the conductor II are connected by suitable wires insulated to prevent leakage.

B is a traveling contact-rail, preferably made of channel-iron of the shape shown. It lies above the insulators F and serves both as a cover to the trough A and the mechanism it contains and also as a part of the circuit-making mechanism, it being operated by the contact-shoe carried by the car to cause the making of the circuit through the motor. This contact-rail B is supported in the trough A upon a truck mounted on eccentric Wheels in such a manner that an endwise movement imparted to it causes the truck to move in a corresponding direction. This truck carries the contact-points and is preferably formed in the following manner: In the foundationpiece E is seta series of short tracks D, each having a'tooth D projecting from its upper surface, the track D being flush with the upper surface of the piece E. O O O are eccentrics, each having a notch on one side, which corresponds with the tooth D on the track D. These wheels are preferably made in pairs, and the wheels of each pair are connected by an axle O, which is eccentric. Upon these axles rests a metallic bar G,which is notched in order that it may engage with the axles G and be carried by them when the contact-rail travels. As shown, this bar G is made of channel-iron, the sides of which are notched, as described, and it carries a series of downwardly-projecting contact-points g, and upon the upper side of the conductor H is provided for each contact-point g a pair of contact-points h, one located on each side of a contact-point g, this construction being such that in whichever direction the bar G is moved from its normal position by the contact-rail B electric contact will be established between it and the conductor H, as below described.

In order to cause the rail B to return to its normal position, so that the electric circuit will be broken, I locate a spring at each end of the rail B. From the undersurface of the rail B is hung an angle-iron B, filling substantiall y the width of the trough. The end of the trough is built up by a suit-able insulated end piece A F, and between these two portions is a heavy spring I. The extreme end of the rail B is turned down to provide a stop I), which overlaps the end of the trough A.

I prefer to use eccentrics, as above described, because while giving a generally horizontal movement they also cause the bar G to drop somewhat, so as to insure contact with the conductor. To prevent them from traveling, I provide the tracks D with one or more teeth D to engage with corresponding notches in the circumference of the eccentrics. The number of eccentrics will depend upon the length of the rail B and bar G.

The operation of this device is as follows: The contact-shoe carried by the motor-car is depressed by the motorinan, so as to come in contact with the traveling contact-rail 13, this contact being such that the rail B will be moved in the direction in which the train is supposed to be traveling. This action will cause the rail B to travel a short distance, depending upon the strength of the forward spring I, which will be depressed by its angleiron 13, or until the rear stop 12 engages with the adjacent insulated end of the trough. This movement of the rail B also causes the rollin g of the eccentrics C and the consequent traveling of the bar G until the contact-points g establish electrical contact with the contact-points 71. At that instant electrical c011- nection will be established between the conductor H and the motor by means of the contact-points h g, bar G, axles C, and eccentrics O and contact-rail B to the contact-shoe and its connections in the motor-car. hen the contact-shoe leaves the rail B, whether because the train has traveled beyond it to the next section or because the motorman has withdrawn the eontact-shoe, the spring I, which has been compressed, throws the rail 13 back into its normal position, causing it to withdraw the bar G through the action of the eccentrics and thus to break the electrical contact between the contact-points g h.

This device is intended to be used with a contact-shoe of ordinary construction, which not only has a movement toward and from the rail, so that contact can be broken at any time, but also a substantially horizontal forward movement after it has made contact with the rail. I have not shown the mechanism for operating such a shoe in the drawings, as it forms no part of this invention, and it will be evident to any mechanic that such a movement may be given in a variety of ways.

I have shown two sets of contact-points, one set attached to the conductor H and the other to the rail G. This seems to me the simplest manner of insuring electrical contact between these two parts; but my invention does not relate to the precise construction of the contactpoints, but to the mechanism whereby at the proper time the circuit may be closed. For this purpose the bars G and the eccentrics C C in fact form a truck for the support of the traveling rail, the endwise movement of this truck in the proper direction causing the establishment of the electrical contact and its retreat breaking the contact, the means of contact being immaterial and the existence of the contact-rail above described being also immaterial to the operation of the structure, though very desirable for various reasons. It is of course evident that if the contact-rail were omitted the upper surface of the truck would become a con tact-rail for all the purposes of this invention. These rails maybe made of any desired length and laid sufliciently apart to allow a proper amount of play to the contact-rails D, the ends of the conductors in each section being electrically connected in any convenient manner.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a trolley-rail mechanism, a conductor and a truck normally out of electric contact therewith and adapted to have a limited longitudinal movement in either direction into electrical contact with said conductor, said truck being mounted upon rolls and capable of movement upon the contact therewith of a contact-shoe, all as and for the purposes set forth.

2. I11 a trolley-rail mechanism, in combination, a conductor and a contact-rail normally out of electric contact with said conductor, said contact-rail being suitably supported and capable of a longitudinal movement whereby it maybe brought into contact with said conductor and be made part of an electric circuit passing from said conductor through it to a contact-shoe, as set forth.

3. In a trolley-rail mechanism, in combination with a conductor, a truck normally insu-' lated therefrom and capable of a limited longitudinal movement into electric contact therewith and a contact-rail supported upon said truck and brought into circuit with the conductor, all as set forth.

4. In a trolley-rail, in combination with a conductor and a contact-rail, the truck above described,said truck consisting of two or more eccentrics and a connecting-bar mounted thereon and adapted to form electrical contact with said conductor, all as set forth.

5. In a trolley-rail, in combination with a conductor a contact-rail and a truck-bar mounted upon eccentrics and adapted to carry said truck-bar in substantially a horizontal direction, said eccentrics being notched and supported upon a toothed track, as set forth.

6. In a trolley-rail section, a conduit containing a conductor carrying contact-points, a truck also carrying contact-points and suitablymounted in said conduit and adapted to be moved longitudinally therein, whereby an electric circuit maybe established and broken between said truck and conductor and a contact-rail mounted upon said truck and adapted to impart a longitudinal movement thereto, as set forth.

In witness whereof I have set my hand this 11th day of February, 1897.

\VM. A. P. \VILLARD, JR.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE O. G. COALE, E. A. GUILD. 

